Improvement in bows



B. S. MORTON. Bow.

No. 217,741. Patented July 22,1879.

WITNESSES INVENTOR m ifo/awz 5 19? Wi/ ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EPHRAIM S. MORTON, OF PLYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELF,JOHN H. PARKS, AND HENRY W. LORING, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 217,741, dated July 22,1879; application filed June 18, 1879.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, EPHRAIM S. MORTON, of Plymouth, in the county ofPlymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and ImprovedBow for Archery, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to put the bow in a more compact form,to facilitate packing and carrying it about.

It consists in making the bow in two parts and connecting these parts bya hinge-joint, so that when the bow is bent the hinge is opened, andheld in that position by the string.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a bent bow providedwith my improve ments. Fig.2 is a side view of portions of each end ofthe bow and of the hinged joint connecting them, and Fig. 3 is an endview of the joint.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to. the drawings, A A are the Wooden parts of the bow, havingmetal tips B B, with rings a a to receive the string 0.

-The butts of the wooden parts are entered into metal sockets D D, andsecurely fastened therein. On the end of one ofthe socket-pieces, on theside corresponding to the back of the bow, are two circular projectingjaws, b b, and on the other, in the same position, is a projectingtongue, 0, of the same form as the jaws between which it fits, and thetwo are connected together by a pin, d, passed through them. The ends ofthe socket-pieces outside the joint are squared off, so as to cometogether evenly and hold the socket-pieces in a straight line.

The socket-pieces, as will be observed, close together toward the backof the bow and open straight out toward the front. Thus when the bow isbent the socket-pieces are turned out straight, the squared ends thereofholding them in that position, while the wooden portions A A only bendand supply the necessary elasticity. When the bow is unbent the twoparts are swung back against each other, as in Fig. 2, thus making thebow much more convenient to carry and pack, and also enabling the woodenparts to be bent back against each other, so as to completely unbendthem, and thus preserve the strength of the bow and retain itselasticity.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. As an improvement in bows for archery, a bowcomposed of two parts, A A, connected together at the center by a hingedjoint, so as 'to permit the two parts to be folded back against eachother when the bow is unbent, but to hold them apart when bent, in themanner substantially as described.

2. In combination with the wooden portions AA, the metal sockets D D,with a hinged connection, and squared ends to hold the socket-piecesstraight when the bow is bent, as and for the purpose substantially asdescribed.

EPHRAIM S. MORTON.

WVitnesses CHAS. O. GHUROHELL, HENRY W. LORING.

